J.J. Abrams Says Star Trek 4 Won't Recast Anton Yelchin

Paramount recently announced that they are officially developing a fourth Star Trek, with Chris Hemsworth returning as Captain Kirk's father. But it looks like another beloved character won't be returning: Chekhov, who was played by the late Anton Yelchin.

27-year-old Yelchin died in a tragic accident last month, and will be seen posthumously in Star Trek Beyond (as well as four other films he had completed prior to his death). As a result, the future of the character is up in the air, but Star Trek 4 producer J.J. Abrams says that recasting the role of Chekhov is not in the cards.

This seems like the more sensitive choice, and is generally the course taken in these situations. Paul Walker, for example, wasn't replaced after he was killed in the middle of filming (his scenes were finished using his brothers as body doubles, and then his character won't appear in Fast 8). As for whether Chekhov will die off-screen or simply won't appear for an in-universe reason, Abrams said the following:

"I have thought about it, we're working on it, and it's too early to talk about it."